System and method of ad delivery

ABSTRACT

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a device having a controller programmed to store a subscriber selectable preference for advertisements used for selecting advertisements to send to a set top box and receive a signal from a broadcast stream indicating the location for insertion of an advertisement based on the subscriber selectable preference. Other embodiments are disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/093,922, filed Dec. 2, 2013, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/771,200, filed Feb.20, 2013 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,627,360, which is a continuationof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/822,108 filed Jun. 23, 2010 andissued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,402,486, the disclosures of all of which areincorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to communication systems andmore specifically to a system and method of ad delivery.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Interactive TV networks provide a multitude of services includingbroadcast programming and video-on-demand. These networks reach out tousers in various environments including single family residences,multi-dwelling apartments and commercial facilities. The types ofservice and the ability to provide those services are often dependent onthe particular environment of the potential users. Quite often, thesubscribers to these networks have limited choices in selecting theindividual ads they can receive. Instead, ads are delivered without anytargeting and end up being of little interest to viewers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment a of communication system thatprovides program retrieval services;

FIG. 2 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a portal interacting withthe communication system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication deviceutilized in the communication system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication system flowdiagram utilized in the communication system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 depicts yet another illustrative embodiment of a communicationsystem flow diagram in the communication system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method operating inportions of the communications systems of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of acomputer system within which a set of instructions, when executed, maycause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One embodiment of the present disclosure can entail a non-transitorycomputer readable storage medium comprising computer instructions topresent a graphical user interface (GUI) enabling subscriber selectableadvertisements for delivery of the subscriber selectable advertisementsto a set top box (STB), initiate storage of the subscriber selectableadvertisements at a remote ad delivery server, and present thesubscriber selectable advertisement Another embodiment of the presentdisclosure can entail a set top box (STB) comprising a controllerprogrammed to receive subscriber selectable preferences foradvertisements for delivery of the advertisements to the set top box(STB), initiate storage of the advertisements based on the subscriberselectable preferences at a remote ad delivery server, and receiveadvertisements based on the subscriber selectable preferences

Yet another embodiment of the present disclosure can entail a networkdevice comprising a controller programmed to store a subscriberselectable preference for advertisements used for selectingadvertisements to send to a set top box (STB) and receive a signal froma broadcast stream indicating the location for insertion of anadvertisement based on the subscriber selectable preference.

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a first communicationsystem 100 for delivering media content. The communication system 100can represent an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) broadcast mediasystem. The IPTV media system can include a super head-end office (SHO)110 with at least one super headend office server (SHS) 111 whichreceives media content from satellite and/or terrestrial communicationsystems. In the present context, media content can represent audiocontent, moving image content such as videos, still image content, orcombinations thereof. The SHS server 111 can forward packets associatedwith the media content to video head-end servers (VHS) 114 via a networkof video head-end offices (VHO) 112 according to a common multicastcommunication protocol.

The VHS 114 can distribute multimedia broadcast programs via an accessnetwork 118 to commercial and/or residential buildings 102 housing agateway 104 (such as a common residential or commercial gateway). Thebuilding 102 can be various types including multi-dwelling units whichhouse a plurality of different subscribers. The access network 118 canrepresent a group of digital subscriber line access multiplexers(DSLAMs) located in a central office or a service area interface thatprovide broadband services over optical links or copper twisted pairs119 to buildings 102. The gateway 104 can use common communicationtechnology to distribute broadcast signals to media processors 106 suchas Set-Top Boxes (STBs) which in turn present broadcast channels tomedia devices 108 such as computers or television sets managed in someinstances by a media controller 107 (such as an infrared or RF remotecontrol).

The gateway 104, the media processors 106, and media devices 108 canutilize tethered interface technologies (such as coaxial or phone linewiring) or can operate over a common wireless access protocol. Withthese interfaces, unicast communications can be invoked between themedia processors 106 and subsystems of the IPTV media system forservices such as video-on-demand (VoD), browsing an electronicprogramming guide (EPG), or other infrastructure services.

Some of the network elements of the IPTV media system can be coupled toone or more computing devices 130 a portion of which can operate as aweb server for providing portal services over an Internet ServiceProvider (ISP) network 132 to wireline media devices 108 or wirelesscommunication devices 116 by way of a wireless access base station 117operating according to common wireless access protocols such as WirelessFidelity (WiFi), or cellular communication technologies (such as GSM,CDMA, UMTS, WiMAX, Software Defined Radio or SDR, and so on).

Another distinct portion of the computing devices 130 can function as aserver (herein referred to as server 130). The server 130 can use commoncomputing and communication technology to perform the function ofrelaying and/or receiving media content to ISP network 132 or to othernetworks.

It will be appreciated by an artisan of ordinary skill in the art that asatellite broadcast television system can be used in place of the IPTVmedia system. In this embodiment, signals transmitted by a satellite 115supplying media content can be intercepted by a common satellite dishreceiver 131 coupled to the building 102. Modulated signals interceptedby the satellite dish receiver 131 can be submitted to the mediaprocessors 106 for generating broadcast channels which can be presentedat the media devices 108. The media processors 106 can be equipped witha broadband port to the ISP network 132 to enable infrastructureservices such as VoD and EPG described above.

In yet another embodiment, an analog or digital broadcast distributionsystem such as cable TV system 133 can be used in place of the IPTVmedia system described above. In this embodiment the cable TV system 133can provide Internet, telephony, and interactive media services.

In one embodiment, the building 102 can have a surveillance system 150including various security devices such as security cameras, motiondetectors, automated door locks, intercoms, processors and so forth.Each of the units and/or subscribers within the building 102 can have acognitive radio transceiver (CRT) 175 that can wirelessly receivesignals from the surveillance system 150. The signals can be video mediacaptured by security cameras throughout the building (such as at thefront door, the pool, and so forth).

FIG. 2 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a portal 202 which canoperate from the computing devices 130 described earlier ofcommunication system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. The portal 202 can beused for managing services of communication system 100. The portal 202can be accessed by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) with a commonInternet browser such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer™ using anInternet-capable communication device such as those described forFIG. 1. The portal 202 can be configured, for example, to access a mediaprocessor 106 and services managed thereby such as a Digital VideoRecorder (DVR), a VoD catalog, an EPG, a personal catalog (such aspersonal videos, pictures, audio recordings, etc.) stored in the mediaprocessor, provisioning IMS services, provisioning Internet services,provisioning cellular phone services, provisioning services such assecurity services or advertising services and so on. For example, a usercan utilize the portal to configure the cognitive radio processor forreceiving video security footage as it is captured by security camerasin the building. In another embodiment, the captured video can beforwarded to other communication devices and/or entities, such as amobile telephone of the user or the police. In yet another embodiment,the services can enable the insertion of targeted advertising as set upby the subscriber or other entity.

FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a communication device 300.Communication device 300 can serve in whole or in part as anillustrative embodiment of the communication devices of FIG. 1. Thecommunication device 300 can comprise a wireline and/or wirelesstransceiver 302 (herein transceiver 302), a user interface (UI) 304, apower supply 314, a location receiver 316, and a controller 306 formanaging operations thereof. The transceiver 302 can support short-rangeor long-range wireless access technologies such as Bluetooth, WiFi,Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT), or cellularcommunication technologies, just to mention a few. Cellular technologiescan include, for example, CDMA-1X, UMTS/HSDPA, GSM/GPRS, TDMA/EDGE,EV/DO, WiMAX, SDR, and next generation cellular wireless communicationtechnologies as they arise. The transceiver 302 can also be adapted tosupport circuit-switched wireline access technologies (such as PSTN),packet-switched wireline access technologies (such as TCPIP, VoIP,etc.), and combinations thereof.

The UI 304 can include a depressible or touch-sensitive keypad 308 witha navigation mechanism such as a roller ball, joystick, mouse, ornavigation disk for manipulating operations of the communication device300. The keypad 308 can be an integral part of a housing assembly of thecommunication device 300 or an independent device operably coupledthereto by a tethered wireline interface (such as a USB cable) or awireless interface supporting for example Bluetooth. The keypad 308 canrepresent a numeric dialing keypad commonly used by phones, and/or aQwerty keypad with alphanumeric keys. The UI 304 can further include adisplay 310 such as monochrome or color LCD (Liquid Crystal Display),OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) or other suitable display technologyfor conveying images to an end user of the communication device 300. Inan embodiment where the display 310 is touch-sensitive, a portion or allof the keypad 308 can be presented by way of the display.

The UI 304 can also include an audio system 312 that utilizes commonaudio technology for conveying low volume audio (such as audio heardonly in the proximity of a human ear) and high volume audio (such asspeakerphone for hands free operation). The audio system 312 can furtherinclude a microphone for receiving audible signals of an end user. Theaudio system 312 can also be used for voice recognition applications.The UI 304 can further include an image sensor 313 such as a chargedcoupled device (CCD) camera for capturing still or moving images.

The power supply 314 can utilize common power management technologiessuch as replaceable and rechargeable batteries, supply regulationtechnologies, and charging system technologies for supplying energy tothe components of the communication device 300 to facilitate long-rangeor short-range portable applications. The location receiver 316 canutilize common location technology such as a global positioning system(GPS) receiver for identifying a location of the communication device300 based on signals generated by a constellation of GPS satellites,thereby facilitating common location services such as navigation.

The communication device 300 can use the transceiver 302 to alsodetermine a proximity to a cellular, WiFi or Bluetooth access point bycommon power sensing techniques such as utilizing a received signalstrength indicator (RSSI) and/or a signal time of arrival (TOA) or timeof flight (TOF). The controller 306 can utilize computing technologiessuch as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and/or avideo processor with associated storage memory such a Flash, ROM, RAM,SRAM, DRAM or other storage technologies.

The communication device 300 can be adapted to perform the functions ofthe media processor 106, the media devices 108, or the portablecommunication devices 116 of FIG. 1. It will be appreciated that thecommunication device 300 can also represent other common devices thatcan operate in communication system 100 of FIG. 1 such as a gamingconsole and a media player.

FIGS. 4 and 5 depict illustrative embodiments of a system or flow 400and another system or flow 500 for enabling a subscriber to select andreceive subscriber selectable advertising. In this regard, a subscribercan select preferences or even actual individual ad content that can bestreamed to the user in a targeted fashion in a digital televisionsystem such as an IPTV system. The systems 400 or 500 can provide lacarte IPTV Advertising that enable system subscribers to chooseadvertisements that fit their interests from a Set top Box (STB). Theviewer or subscriber can select specific advertising content via GUI(Graphical User Interface) which will in turn store their choices on anAd Delivery Server. The Ad Delivery Server can then present thesubscriber's preferred advertising content during a next available adbreak as further detailed below.

Referring again to FIG. 4, the system or flow 400 in one embodiment canenable a subscriber to select ad content from a catalog server using aSTB at 402. A billing server can optionally log the subscriber adcontent selection at 404. The system can use broadcaster que toneinformation to determine a location or time (or time slot) for deliveryof the ad to a particular subscriber or STB at 406. In one particularembodiment, an Ad Campaign Manager can deliver the subscriber selectedad content (or content in accordance with a selected subscriberpreference) to the STB via a unicast transmission at 408.

Such a system can resolve several issues that allegedly disturbadvertisers and subscribers. Advertisers would obviously want todiscourage channel flipping away from the specific broadcasted contentand subscribers are more likely to stay on a particular channel if theyhad the ability to insert advertisement into the Setup Top Box thatpique the specific subscriber's interests. For example as a 40 year oldmale consumer would not necessarily want to receive product informationor services that are only designed for females or receive productinformation for specific age groups when it is not applicable to them.In this regard, advertising that is not related to the viewer orsubscriber's interest may not be as effective as subscriber selectedadvertising. The consumer will be able to select content from a GUI thatis specific to content that personally interests them. For example,sports, sporting events, local events, medical, personal care,environment, travel, automobiles, racing, gaming, fashion or any otherparticular interest. Other techniques or inputs can be used in additionto the subscriber selectable preference to further refine the particularads that can be delivered to the subscriber. Other inputs can include,but are not limited to demographics, geographic location, purchasehistories and the like. These techniques bring e-commerce to a nextlevel by allowing consumers to be more interactive when purchasingproducts and services through such a system.

In yet another embodiment, a system or flow 500 can enable a subscriberto request ad content (or ad preferences) via an STB at 502 from an adserver catalog 506 via an application server 504. As discussed in theexample above a billing server at 508 can optionally log the subscriberad content selection and an Ad Campaign Manager at 510 can be used todeliver the subscriber selected ad content (or content in accordancewith a selected subscriber preference) to the STB via an ad deliverysystem 512. The ad delivery system can include a unicast transmissionsystem, but can utilize other transmission system where specific adcontent can be inserted or splice into a video stream for delivery tothe STB at 514.

From an STB, a subscriber can be presented with a screen or GUI thatallows them to choose specific advertising content from an AdvertisementContent Storage via an integrated IPTV Application Server. Once thesubscriber has selected the advertisement content that piques his or herinterests, this information will then be stored on the Ad DeliveryServer using for example the STB's GUID (Globally Unique Identifier).Then once the broadcasted content calls for an advertisement to beinserted, the specific advertisement content that the subscriberspecified will be spliced into the viewed video stream. If thesubscriber does not select any content, then default ad insertionpolicies can be applied. The other service providers simply broadcastadvertising content during specific time slots to all viewers.

FIG. 6 depicts an illustrative method 600 that operates in portions ofthe communication systems of FIG. 1. Method 600 can begin with step 602in which the method at 602 presents a graphical user interface (GUI)enabling subscriber selectable advertisements for delivery of thesubscriber selectable advertisements to a set top box (STB). At 604, themethod 600 can present filters for targeted ad delivery based on one ormore of demographics, geographic location, purchased products, orpurchased services. At 606, the system (or subscriber) can select adsfrom an ad catalog server (based on subscriber selected preferences orsubscriber selections) and transmit the STB's Globally Unique Identifier(GUID) to a billing server. At 608, such selection can initiate storageof the subscriber selectable advertisements at a remote ad deliveryserver, where the storage of the subscriber selectable advertisement canbe done using a STB's GUID. At 610, the method can present the presentthe subscriber selectable advertisement, optionally using a unicaststream server. In one embodiment, the method at 612 can receive aunicast of a subscriber selectable advertisement selected by an adcampaign manager and play the subscriber selectable advertisementselected by the ad campaign manager when a que tone is delivered in abroadcast stream. Transmission of the ad can involve splicing thesubscriber selectable ad at 614 into a digital video stream before thepresentation (610). In yet another option, the method at 616 can collectEPG information or channel subscription information from an IPTV networkto provide further automated targeted ad delivery. It should beunderstood that the order or inclusion of the steps should not beimplied from the specific order described herein.

Upon reviewing the aforementioned embodiments, it would be evident to anartisan with ordinary skill in the art that said embodiments can bemodified, reduced, or enhanced without departing from the scope andspirit of the claims described below. For example, such a system andmethod can entail in a particular embodiment an STB or server which canultimately insert ads in a similar fashion as discussed above where theIPTV system is further coupled to a wireless network and remote devicesas illustrated in FIG. 1. Such remote device can also be treated as anSTB in the context of the embodiments herein.

Other suitable modifications can be applied to the present disclosurewithout departing from the scope of the claims below. Accordingly, thereader is directed to the claims section for a fuller understanding ofthe breadth and scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary diagrammatic representation of a machine inthe form of a computer system 700 within which a set of instructions,when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies discussed above. In some embodiments, the machine operatesas a standalone device. In some embodiments, the machine may beconnected (e.g., using a network) to other machines. In a networkeddeployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or aclient user machine in server-client user network environment, or as apeer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment.

The machine may comprise a server computer, a client user computer, apersonal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a laptop computer, a desktopcomputer, a control system, a network router, switch or bridge, or anymachine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential orotherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. It will beunderstood that a device of the present disclosure includes broadly anyelectronic device that provides voice, video or data communication.Further, while a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shallalso be taken to include any collection of machines that individually orjointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform anyone or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

The computer system 700 may include a processor 702 (e.g., a centralprocessing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU, or both), a mainmemory 704 and a static memory 706, which communicate with each othervia a bus 708. The computer system 700 may further include a videodisplay unit 710 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a flat panel, asolid state display, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system700 may include an input device 712 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor controldevice 714 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 716, a signal generationdevice 718 (e.g., a speaker or remote control) and a network interfacedevice 720.

The disk drive unit 716 may include a machine-readable medium 722 onwhich is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software 724)embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions describedherein, including those methods illustrated above. The instructions 724may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the mainmemory 704, the static memory 706, and/or within the processor 702during execution thereof by the computer system 700. The main memory 704and the processor 702 also may constitute machine-readable media.

Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to,application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays andother hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement themethods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatusand systems of various embodiments broadly include a variety ofelectronic and computer systems. Some embodiments implement functions intwo or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices withrelated control and data signals communicated between and through themodules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit.Thus, the example system is applicable to software, firmware, andhardware implementations.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, themethods described herein are intended for operation as software programsrunning on a computer processor. Furthermore, software implementationscan include, but not limited to, distributed processing orcomponent/object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtualmachine processing can also be constructed to implement the methodsdescribed herein.

The present disclosure contemplates a machine readable medium containinginstructions 724, or that which receives and executes instructions 724from a propagated signal so that a device connected to a networkenvironment 726 can send or receive voice, video or data, and tocommunicate over the network 726 using the instructions 724. Theinstructions 724 may further be transmitted or received over a network726 via the network interface device 720.

While the machine-readable medium 722 is shown in an example embodimentto be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” should betaken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralizedor distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) thatstore the one or more sets of instructions. The term “machine-readablemedium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable ofstoring, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by themachine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies of the present disclosure.

The term “machine-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken toinclude, but not be limited to: solid-state memories such as a memorycard or other package that houses one or more read-only (non-volatile)memories, random access memories, or other re-writable (volatile)memories; magneto-optical or optical medium such as a disk or tape;and/or a digital file attachment to e-mail or other self-containedinformation archive or set of archives is considered a distributionmedium equivalent to a tangible storage medium. Accordingly, thedisclosure is considered to include any one or more of amachine-readable medium or a distribution medium, as listed herein andincluding art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which thesoftware implementations herein are stored.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsimplemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standardsand protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards andprotocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switchednetwork transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, HTTP) representexamples of the state of the art. Such standards are periodicallysuperseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Accordingly, replacement standards and protocolshaving the same functions are considered equivalents.

The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments,and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all theelements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use ofthe structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparentto those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Otherembodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structuraland logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing fromthe scope of this disclosure. Figures are also merely representationaland may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may beexaggerated, while others may be minimized. Accordingly, thespecification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative ratherthan a restrictive sense.

Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred toherein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merelyfor convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope ofthis application to any single invention or inventive concept if morethan one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments havebeen illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that anyarrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substitutedfor the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to coverany and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments.Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments notspecifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in theart upon reviewing the above description.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader toquickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It issubmitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpretor limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in theforegoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features aregrouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamliningthe disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require morefeatures than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as thefollowing claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than allfeatures of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims arehereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claimstanding on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: providing, by a systemcomprising a processing system including a processor, a graphical userinterface for identifying advertisements for delivery to a communicationdevice, wherein the graphical user interface enables the advertisementsto be selected according to user preferences identified by ad selectioninformation received using the graphical user interface, and wherein theuser preferences are determined according to user input received via thegraphical user interface; initiating, by the system, storage of selectedadvertisements; transmitting, by the system, a globally uniqueidentifier (GUID) for the communication device to a billing server,wherein the GUID is distinct from the ad selection information, whereinthe transmitting is performed upon initiation of the storage andresponsive to the initiation of the storage; forwarding, by the system,the ad selection information to the billing server; splicing, by thesystem, the selected advertisements into a digital video streamcomprising video content, wherein the digital video stream comprises aunicast stream directed to the communication device; and providing, bythe system, automated targeted advertisement delivery using the selectedadvertisements.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the billing serverlogs a subscriber based on the globally unique identifier of thecommunication device.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selectedadvertisements are stored via indexing to the globally uniqueidentifier.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the initiation of thestorage of the selected advertisements is responsive to a selection froman advertisement catalog server.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein thebilling server logs the selection from the advertisement catalog server.6. The method of claim 1, wherein the automated targeted advertisementdelivery is based on electronic programming guide information.
 7. Themethod of claim 6, wherein the electronic programming guide informationis obtained from a network server of a service provider that providescommunication services to the communication device.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, wherein a subset of advertisements are filtered out of theadvertisements identified by the graphical user interface based onpurchased products or purchased services.
 9. The method of claim 1,wherein a subset of advertisements are filtered out of theadvertisements identified by the graphical user interface based ondemographics associated with a user of the communication device.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the system, theselected advertisements to the communication device using a unicaststream server.
 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing,by the system, a broadcast stream including cue tones to thecommunication device, wherein the selected advertisements are presentedby the communication device responsive to the cue tones.
 12. Anon-transitory, machine-readable storage medium, comprising executableinstructions that, when executed by a processing system including aprocessor, facilitate performance of operations, the operationscomprising: presenting a graphical user interface that describes a groupof advertisements accessible via an advertisement catalog server;receiving user input indicating a selection of an advertisementpreference to obtain ad selection information, wherein a subset ofadvertisements is selected from the group of advertisements according tothe selection of the advertisement preference; forwarding the adselection information to a billing server; initiating storage of thesubset of advertisements at a remote advertisement delivery server;transmitting identification information for the remote advertisementdelivery server to the billing server, wherein the identificationinformation is distinct from the ad selection information, wherein thetransmitting is performed upon the initiating of the storage andresponsive to the initiating of the storage; receiving a digital contentstream via unicasting from a server, wherein the digital content streamcomprises advertising segments spliced into the digital content stream;extracting the advertising segments from the digital content stream; andpresenting the subset of advertisements at a display device according tothe advertisement segments that are extracted by utilizing advertisementinsertion points that are selected based on a target advertisementdelivery policy.
 13. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage mediumof claim 12, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processorsoperating in a distributed processing environment.
 14. Thenon-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein theidentification information enables the storage of the subset ofadvertisements indexed based on the identification information.
 15. Thenon-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein theadvertisement insertion points are further based on electronicprogramming guide information that is obtained from a network server ofa service provider that provides communication services.
 16. Thenon-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein theoperations further comprise identifying cue tones in a broadcast stream,wherein the presenting of the subset of advertisements at the displaydevice is according to the cue tones.
 17. A billing server, comprising:a memory to store executable instructions; and a processing systemincluding a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein theprocessing system, responsive to executing the executable instructions,facilitates performance of operations, the operations comprising:receiving, from an advertising server, identification information for amedia device upon an initiation of storage of a subset of advertisementson the media device and responsive to the initiation of the storage ofthe subset of advertisements on the media device, wherein the storage ofthe subset of advertisements is initiated based on a user selection ofan advertisement preference from a group of advertisements via agraphical user interface presented at the media device to obtain an adselection information, wherein the advertising server selects the subsetof advertisements from the group of advertisements according to the userselection of the advertisement preference; logging the ad selectioninformation, the identification information being distinct from the adselection information; and tracking advertisement segments presented atthe media device, wherein the advertising server transmits to the mediadevice a digital content stream including advertising segments splicedtherein, wherein the media device presents the subset of advertisementsat a display device according to the advertisement segments that areextracted from the digital content stream by the media device.
 18. Thebilling server of claim 17, wherein the identification informationcomprises a globally unique identifier of the media device, and whereinthe processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in adistributed processing environment.
 19. The billing server of claim 17,wherein the operations further comprise logging the selection of theadvertisement preference.
 20. The billing server of claim 18, whereinthe operations further comprise logging a subscriber based on theglobally unique identifier of the media device.